Marcus Atilius Regulus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This is about the Roman general and consul; for other Romans of that name, see Marcus Atilius Regulus (disambiguation).
This article is part of the series on: Military of ancient Rome (portal) |
|||
| Structural history | |||
| Roman army (unit types and ranks, legions, auxiliaries, generals) |
|||
| Roman navy (fleets, admirals) | |||
| Campaign history | |||
| Lists of wars and battles | |||
| Decorations and punishments | |||
| Technological history | |||
| Military engineering (castra, siege engines, arches, roads) |
|||
| Personal equipment | |||
| Political history | |||
| Strategy and tactics | |||
| Infantry tactics | |||
| Frontiers and fortifications (limes, Hadrian's Wall) |
|||
Marcus Atilius Regulus (died c. 250 BC), a general and consul (for the second time) in the ninth year of the First Punic War (256 BC). Regulus defeated the Salentini and captured Brundisium (now Brindisi) during his first term as consul in 267 BC.
He was one of the commanders in the Roman naval expedition that shattered the Carthaginian fleet at Cape Ecnomus, and landed an army on Carthaginian territory. The invaders were so successful that the other consul, Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus, was recalled to Rome, leaving Regulus behind to finish the war.
After a severe defeat at Adys near Carthage, the Carthaginians were inclined towards peace, but the terms proposed by Regulus were so harsh that they resolved to continue the war. The Cathaginians replaced the outmatched general Hamilcar with new leadership and in 255 BC, Regulus was completely defeated at the Battle of Tunis. He was taken prisoner by the Spartan mercenary general Xanthippus along with 500 of his men.
There is no further trustworthy information about him. According to tradition, he remained in captivity until 250 BC, when after the defeat of the Carthaginians at the Battle of Panormus he was sent to Rome on parole to negotiate a peace or an exchange of prisoners. On his arrival, he instead strongly urged the Roman Senate to refuse both proposals and continue fighting, and honored his parole by returning to Carthage where he was executed by being placed in a spiked barrel, which was then let roll down a hill (Horace, Odes, iii. 5)[dubious ].
The traditional story made of Regulus is one of the best known examples of honour and patriotism to later Romans; most historians, however, regard this account as insufficiently attested, as Polybius does not mention it. The tale may have been invented by Roman annalists as propaganda, to incite hatred towards Carthage and justify cruel treatment of the Carthaginian prisoners.
[edit] Family
Atilius Regulus was the son of the eponymous consul of 294 BC, and was descended from an ancient Calabrian family. According to later Roman historians, he was married to one Marcia, who tortured several Carthaginian prisoners to death on hearing of her husband's death. He had at least two sons and one daughter by Livy's account; both sons became consuls - Marcus in 227 BC and Gaius in 225 BC (killed in battle against the Gauls).
A brother or cousin Gaius was also consul in 257 BC and 250 BC.
Latin story: Cum primo Punico bello Romanl contra Carthaginienses de imperio Siciliae contenderent, M. Atllius Regulus, consul Romanus, navall pugna classem Punicam superavit. Proelio facto, Hanno, dux Carthaginiensis, ad eum venit simulans se velle de pace agere, re vera ut tempus extraheret, dum novae copiae ex Africa advenIrent. Mllites Romanl clamare coeperunt Regulum idem facerc oportere quod Carthaginienses paucls ante anms in consule quodam fecissent. Is enim tamquam in colloquium per fraudem vocatus a Poenis comprehensus erat et in catenas conjectus. Jam Hanno timere incipiebat, sed periculum responso callido reppulit. "Si hoc feceritis", inquit, "nihilo eritis Poenis meliores." Consul tacere jussit eos qui par parl referri volebant, et conveniens gravitatl Romanae responsum dedit: "Isto te metu, Hanno, fides Romana llberat." De pace, quia Poenus ex animo non is agebat et consul bellum gerere quam pacem facere malebat, non convenit. Deinde Regulus et collega, L. Manlius Vulso, in Africam primi Romanorum ducum transierunt. Ibi, multls castellls expugnatls magnaque praeda capta, Tunetem occupaverunt, quae urbs decem tan tum mllibus passuum a Cartbagine aberat. Vulso in Italiam cum parte mllitum rediit, collega ad agros vastandos relicto. Itaque Regulus hiemem in Africa egit.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
| Preceded by Publius Sempronius Sophus and Appius Claudius Russus |
Consul of the Roman Republic with Lucius Julius Libo 267 BC |
Succeeded by Decimus Iunius Pera and Numerius Fabius Pictor |
| Preceded by Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus and Quintus Caedicius |
Consul (Suffect) of the Roman Republic with Lucius Manlius Vulso Longus 256 BC |
Succeeded by Marcus Aemilius Paullus and Servius Fulvius Paetinus Nobilior |
